YouTube teamed up with United Nations Development Program and social change agency Love Frankie to support YouTube Creators from the Asia-Pacific Region in creating video contents with significant social impact.
“YouTube Creators for Change,” an on-going global program by YouTube, was introduced last June 29 at the ASpace Greenbelt in Makati, under the #LovePhilippines campaign.
Launched by Google Philippines in 2016, the social media initiative aimed at sharing positivity online, with information that highlights the best that the Philippines has to offer. Through the use of their platform, the internet company shared tidbits of information about Filipino food, personalities, history, and culture.
#LovePhilippines thrust directs efforts to the video-sharing platform YouTube and touches on difficult issues of cyberbullying and hate mongering. It also engages creators to promote greater tolerance and empathy through the use of their channels.
“YouTube creators are continuously using our platform to share powerful messages, tackle difficult issues, and spread love,” Head of Youtube Creator and Artist Development for Asia-Pacific Marc Lefkowits said.
#LovePhilippines Ambassador Janina Vela was among the highly-influential creator present at the workshop. Janina is known to be a positive role model for teens across the Philippines.
“We all want to feel somebody’s embrace, we want to feel that we belong to the community,” Vela said during the event.
Vela always shows her bubbly and affable nature in front of the camera, but this 19-year-old was a victim of bullying when she was first starting her YouTube career. Through the use of YouTube as her platform, she would like to address the issue of bullying and spread kindness.
Alongside with Vela, fellow YouTuber Hannah Pangilinan also shared her sentiments that teenagers go through.
“Despite having stereotypes, we still go through the same problems in life as teenagers… We are not alone.” Pangilinan said.
Other famous local YouTubers such as, Lloyd Café Cadena, Ronan Domingo, Crisha Uy and more also attended the workshop to share their ideas and experiences with their fellow online content creators.
“The hearts of the Filipinos are bound to be united. So despite of all our differences, we all just want to be united,” Vela added.
To make the workshop more effective, creators also lectured with regards to producing content about local issues alongside experts such as NGO’s, academic authorities, and subject matter specialists.
Prior to reaching the Philippines, Creators for Change has been launched in France, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Australia, Indonesia, United States, and the United Kingdom. During its first year, the campaign has locked in 60 million total views, 731,000 hours of watch time, and trained almost 15,000 youths to speak out about the issues in their countries.